lavatory

[ lav-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
See synonyms for lavatory on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural lav·a·to·ries.
  1. a room fitted with equipment for washing the hands and face and usually with flush toilet facilities.

  2. a flush toilet; water closet.

  1. a bowl or basin with running water for washing or bathing purposes; washbowl.

  2. any place where washing is done.

Origin of lavatory

1
1325–75; Middle English lavatorie<Late Latin lavātōrium washing-place, equivalent to Latin lavā(re) to wash + -tōrium-tory2

Words Nearby lavatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lavatory in a sentence

  • He jiggled the faceted glass door knob to let the person inside know he was hogging the lavatory.

  • The impromptu Bombastes excited universal applause, and just at the end Wright ran in through the lavatory.

    Eric, or Little by Little | Frederic W. Farrar
  • The consequence was, that I was severely hurt, and might have been seriously injured in entering the lavatory.

    Eric, or Little by Little | Frederic W. Farrar
  • There was a little lavatory off the third room of the suite, and Mr. Norcross went in and washed his face and hands.

    The Wreckers | Francis Lynde
  • On the other, through a curtained alcove, he could see a tiny lavatory.

    The Status Civilization | Robert Sheckley
  • A study of the illustrations will show clearly how the lavatory has been improved.

    Elements of Plumbing | Samuel Dibble

British Dictionary definitions for lavatory

lavatory

/ (ˈlævətərɪ, -trɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. Also called: toilet, water closet, WC

    • a sanitary installation for receiving and disposing of urine and faeces, consisting of a bowl fitted with a water-flushing device and connected to a drain

    • a room containing such an installation

  2. the washing place in a convent or monastic establishment

Origin of lavatory

1
C14: from Late Latin lavātōrium, from Latin lavāre to wash

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012